It Hurts
by spookslove
Summary: Jo is having a bad day. It couldn't possibly get any worse.
1. Chapter 1

**So, here is my new fic. Its Jo and Zaf. Hope you like it.**

**Disclaimer: I dont own anything in this fic. It all belongs to Kudos, sadly.**

**Id like to say a big thankyou to Desert Rose for being my beta huggs**

**It Hurts**

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Jo sat at her desk watching the clock impatiently. She wanted to go home and get some sleep. It had been a long day. She knew that when Adam walked through the pods she could go. Half nine, he said. But it was now gone ten and Jo was growing ever more angry and tired by the minute. If he wasn't back in fifteen minutes, she was going to up sticks and leave. But however much she wanted to she didn't want to leave the Grid unattended. Harry had gone home early to be with Ruth who had been away at the hospital getting her twelve week scan. With Zaf's departure form the service, Jo had thought long and hard about whether or not to leave with him.

Strolling in at half past ten, Adam looked all hot and bothered. Smelling the scent of women's perfume, Jo didn't bother to ask where he had been that evening. Instead she turned off her computer, said goodnight to Adam and left through the pods. Her eyes were drooping shut and she looked exhausted but she had to face the long walk home in the cold night air.

She couldn't get a hold of Ben. Jo, trying not to get worried, left a small message on his phone. He was probably sleeping, she thought to herself. She buried her face in the ruffled collar of her jumper. Trying to put her gloves on, she saw how red and swollen they were. The wind grew stronger and one of the gloves flew out of her hand and landed on the frosty pavement. She reached to pick it up but was met by another hand. She picked her glove off the pavement and looked up. A pair of brown eyes looked down at her. The man helped her up and smiled intently at her.

"Zaf, what are you doing here?"

"I'm meeting Adam for a drink. To catch up."

"Oh," Jo hesitated before saying anything else. "How have you been lately?"

"Ok I suppose. Still sore. I'm still going to physiotherapy."

"Helping any?"

"What, with the heartbreak?"

Jo shook her head in disbelief. "Zaf, stop it. I can't believe you are still on about this"

"I didn't think you were like that Jo." His voice was close to tears. He tried as best he could to hide it.

"Goodnight Zaf."

"Take care Jo." He walked away and delved into his pockets to keep his hands warm.

Jo watched as _her_ man walked away. The tears were falling fast and heavy down her cheeks. Her gloved hand wiped away the droplets from her eyes. She loved him so much, but she didn't know what to do about Ben. She knew that she should have told Zaf that they were together from the start but she wasn't sure how to break it to him. Instead she just let it build up until many months later.

Zaf walked along the surprisingly empty streets and thought about what happened. Why he was so unhappy. With everything. He hated Jo for what she did. But he hated himself for not understanding. The images were still planted in his head. Jo literally on top of another man. In _their_ bed! When _they_ were meant to be together. He knew he shouldn't have stormed out the way he should, but he was hardly going to wait around for her new lover to find his pants and excuse himself while Jo and himself had it out in the middle of the living room.

Jo was now in an underground station not far from Thames House. She decided to get the tube home in case she met anyone else that she didn't want to see. Sitting in the almost empty carriage, she stared into space and thought long and hard. She felt so guilty about what happened. But she knew they'd both get over it in time.

Climbing the stairs to her flat, she was just thinking of conking out in her lovely warm bed. As she opened the door, she was greeted by her new boyfriend. She sighed quietly. All the way home she had hoped that he had gone back to his own flat. She wasn't in the mood to see the reason why Zaf and herself had fallen out.

"Hey babe."

"Hi," she said without any compassion in her voice.

"How was work?" Ben asked, knowing he was treading on thin ice.

" Shit. Do you mind if I just go to bed?"

"No, not at all," Ben stood up and gave her a hug. "I love you."

Jo let go and walked slowly to the bedroom, leaving Ben standing in the dimly lit room. "Night."

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**A review would be lovely :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Here is chapter two of my fic. I hope you enjoy it.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the things mentioned in this fic. It all belongs to Kudos, sadly.**

**And Id like to thank Desert Rose for being my beta. :)**

**It Hurts**

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The Grid seemed quiet to Malcolm who had just arrived for work, extremely early. He liked it when he was the only person on the Grid. It gave him time to think and reflect on things. Letting the glow of the monitor hit his face, he slouched in his chair and started to read his book. He was half way through Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy by Douglas Adams. Colin had tried to get him to read it, but it wasn't really his thing. However, when Colin died, he decided to pick it up and read, to see what all the fuss was about. He had read it at least three times already.

When Ruth sauntered onto the grid with Harry, her soft giggle filled the air making Malcolm look up. He smiled at them. He was so pleased to see them together at last. Working with Harry during her absence had been abominable with the constant mood swings, his mind on other things and his attitude towards everyone on the Grid like _they_ were the reason for Ruth's departure.

Through the glass of Harry's office window, Ruth could see that Malcolm was a bit lonely. She kissed Harry gently on the forehead and made her way to see him. When Malcolm could hear Ruth's footsteps getting nearer and nearer, he quickly closed the book and hid it under some files on his desk. Never one to miss a thing, Ruth immediately raised an eyebrow at her fellow colleague.

"What are you reading?" she whispered.

"Nothing." Lying obviously wasn't Malcolm's strong point.

"Oh Malcolm! I saw you hiding the book when I walked over." She removed the book from under the files and read the title. "Ah, Hitchhikers Guide, eh? I thought this stuff wasn't really your thing."

"Uh, yes. I thought I'd just have a go. Ever since Colin died there has been more of a reason to read it."

Ruth gave a supportive smile to Malcolm. She could see that he was quite emotional this morning. "I uh, got this yesterday," She took out an envelope from her jacket pocket. She opened it up and inside was the baby scan. "Here." She slid it across the desk for him to look at.

"Oh my, it's so small. Look at it. I can just make out the head…pleased?"

"That it's not an alien?" She laughed. "Of course I am, I'm so excited, Harry is just over the moon and…" She stopped as she heard the tail end of an argument filling the Grid.

Jo threw her phone on the desk and took off her gloves. She could feel eyes watching her. Seeing Ruth and Malcolm staring at her she pulled herself together and thought of an excuse. She wasn't going to tell them that she wasn't 'talking' to Ben.

"The bank. Something wrong with my account." She waited until the two of them acknowledged her meagre excuse to sit down. Jo could feel the verge of another round of hushed sobbing coming on. She had already cried herself to sleep the night before. Not aware anyone was around her she got the fright of her life when she felt a hand touch her shoulder.

"Jo? Are you alright?" Adam asked with genuine sincerity in his voice.

"Oh bloody hell Adam," she snapped. "Don't do that!"

Adam looked at her. He decided to let her calm down before he spoke again. "I was only asking. Next time I wont bother."

"I'm sorry Adam. I have just had quite a rough night."

"Well you should know by now that we don't bring personal issues into work."

"Ha, you can talk. After all you were the one who went all Post Traumatic Stress Disorder on us."

Adam was stunned by her somewhat rude remark, but he knew she was right. What right did he have telling people how to behave and act in the workplace. His act had been appalling since, well, Fiona died. But he was changing. Although perhaps not for the better, many people had remarked.

He sat down and turned on his computer before rising to the challenge of asking Jo what was troubling her.

"What's the matter Jo?"

Jo hesitantly started to speak, "I saw Zaf last night. I dropped my glove on the way home and he was there."

"Oh. So that is why he was rather downbeat last night."

"He never mentioned it?"

"No. No he didn't." Adam managed to lie his way out of the conversation. Of course he had mentioned it, for gods sake, he had just come into contact with the woman he loved. He went on about the times Jo and he had had before he had been captured. Adam sat and listened to his drunken friend until the early hours of the morning.

The phone rang and Adam passed it to Jo. "It's for you." Jo frowned at the receiver and realised who it was at the other end of the phone. She frantically slammed the phone down and got back to her work.

Adam said nothing.

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**A review would make my day :) **


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